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Mariners-Blue Jays Preview

Sep 24, 2009 - 6:21 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (79-72) at Toronto (68-83), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Felix Hernandez won't help the Seattle Mariners reach the playoffs, but he may still help himself to a major postseason award.

The AL Cy Young Award hopeful looks for a fifth straight victory when the Mariners open a four-game road series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night.

With Erik Bedard injured and Jarrod Washburn now with Detroit, the 23-year-old Hernandez (16-5, 2.45 ERA) has become the ace of a Seattle staff that leads the majors with a 3.91 ERA.

Hernandez, who's already set a career high for wins and will do the same as he makes his 32nd start, is second in the AL in ERA and tied for third in wins.

The right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.18 ERA in his last five starts and has allowed two earned runs in 31 innings over his last four. Hernandez padded his Cy Young resume by giving up an earned run and eight hits in a 3-2 win over New York on Friday for his second complete game this season.

"It was a great game," Hernandez said.

Though Hernandez is 9-2 with a major-league leading 1.90 ERA in 17 road starts, he allowed seven runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings of an 11-4 loss to Toronto on July 27.

He's 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in five career starts versus the Blue Jays (69-83), who lost two of three at Seattle from July 27-29, but will take a three-game winning streak into this set.

Hernandez will try to help Seattle (79-73) bounce back from its second loss in seven games after falling 5-4 at Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Ichiro Suzuki had two hits with an RBI. Batting a career-high .355, Suzuki is also hitting .355 against Toronto, and 8 for 13 versus the Blue Jays this season.

Suzuki is 2 for 3 against Toronto's Ricky Romero (12-9, 4.28), who looks to avoid losing his third consecutive start.

Romero, who could get some recognition in the AL rookie of the year race, gave up four runs in six innings for the second consecutive outing with seven hits and four walks in a 4-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Saturday.

The left-hander is 2-5 with a 5.94 ERA his last nine starts and could be wearing down late in his first full major-league season.

"I wish his last three or four starts would've been just as solid as the other ones so he'd have a chance for the Rookie of the Year," fellow pitcher Jesse Litsch told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "He's got three more starts left. So if he can push for 15 wins, that would be awesome."

Romero allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings to earn the victory over Hernandez and the Mariners in July.

Travis Snider homered and had two RBIs in Toronto's 7-3 win over Baltimore on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Snider went 5 for 11 with five RBIs in the series and is 8 for 16 in his last five home games for the Blue Jays, who are looking for a fifth straight win at Rogers Centre.